U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken flew to Egypt on Tuesday, pressing for areas of possible progress on a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal in talks planned for later this week. He met with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who has been helping mediate the on-off negotiations between Israel and Hamas that have rumbled for months. The visit came amid growing international urgency for a deal to end the war in tiny, densely populated Gaza, where Israel says it has killed more than 27,000. The enclave’s Hamas-run health ministry counts more than 40,000 dead since October, and most of its population are displaced from their homes.
Blinken’s trip was also to press Egyptian officials on plans for Gaza’s post-conflict future, including the reopening of a border crossing with Egypt and the need to ensure that Gaza’s 1.5 million residents can get sufficient supplies of food, water, and medical care. The administration is under pressure at home to do more to advance the peace process, mainly as pro-Palestinian protests erupted outside the Democratic National Convention in Chicago over the Gaza war.
The United States has clarified that it will not give the talks. Still, significant areas of dispute remain unresolved, with Israel and Hamas each accusing the other of cynical obduracy. The Americans hope a Gaza agreement could be reached as early as next week. However, that optimism is not shared by Israeli officials or Hamas, both of which are still resisting a U.S. “bridging proposal” aimed at narrowing the gaps that have developed after talks last week paused without a breakthrough.
The U.S. plan would include:
A commitment by Israel to stop attacking civilians and civilian infrastructure in Gaza in return for an immediate and sustainable truce.
The release of all the Hamas-held Israeli prisoners.
A significant increase in urgent humanitarian assistance for Gaza.
The U.S. and Egyptian mediators have not revealed the bridging proposal’s contents. Still, they say it is designed to give Palestinian negotiators a fresh start in the direct talks with Israel that are set to resume at a higher level in Qatar this week.
In his meeting with Netanyahu, Blinken reaffirmed the “ironclad” U.S. commitment to Israel’s security and also expressed support for the Palestinians’ right to self-determination in a future state. He told the Israeli leader that it was incumbent on Hamas to accept the bridging proposal and to move forward in the next round of direct talks. Later, the top diplomat visited the Gaza Strip to meet with health ministry officials and discuss the conditions at a U.N. school hosting a polio vaccination effort. Blinken also praised the strong partnership between the two countries and wished Egypt a happy national day. He will continue his Mideast tour with stops in Jordan and Qatar.
